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DNF at page 10/chapter 2 - I‘m just not in the mood for this one at the moment

I was anticipating more from Hiram Walker's mysterious power. Ultimately, I felt my attention while reading this book was constantly out of focus. I wanted to be interested in the plot, yet I found myself not feeling connected to the characters or their stories. 

This is the story of Hiram, born into slavery from his black mother while his white father sat with the Quality up at the big house. As Hiram gets older he starts to understand he has a gift and he also learns of the Underground, the network of people working to liberate the enslaved.

I loved this book and learnt so much.

My #blitsyswap arrived. I am so excited to read all these books! I love all the treats and bag. However, I do not know who to tag in this as the name of postage doesn‘t search on here and no name on the card. @Chelleo can you let me know who I can thank for this ❤️

Obviously this is just my POV but I urge you to read and listen to what Black reviewers, specifically Black women, have to say about the book.

So I'm glad I didn't read this book when it just came out coz I likely would have gotten caught up in the hype. Having some distance from its release allowed for interesting perspective. Coates is undoubtedly a master at beautiful prose and delivers stunning moments in the novel. (Cont'd in comments)

I thorougly enjoyed this! Ta-Nehisi Coates brings a great, magical, lens to fictional slave narratives and the Underground Railroad, but does so without taking away from the rightfully felt discontent of the enslaved or the injustices they faced.

This was an intense, troubling book. Coates did a nice job of pulling in many factual elements of slavery, but also combined magic and spiritualism.

This was an excellent October #Bookspin. Really interesting to read this after “Between the World and Me“: the theme of how the black person's body is central to oppression that's explored analytically in Between is palpable in this narrative of enslavement (it's intriguing that the world Coates always uses is “tasked“) and liberation. I had a hard time with the magic realism, feeling it detracted from the characters' strength. @TheAromaofBooks

Book 141
This was my first by Coates. It's a well-done, abolitionist novel, reminiscent of the movie, Harriet (historical fiction about the Underground Railroad with magical elements). The audiobook is excellent; the voice actor sings. The content is disturbing; reading it got me thinking about why so many historical fiction authors from the United States choose to write about the atrocities perpetrated by other countries rather than our own.

My #Bookspin list for November:
1. Love, Loss, What We Ate
2. The Innocents
3. Fierce Femmes
4. Talk About Race
5. H is for Hawk
6. Say Nothing
7. Me and White Supremacy
8. The Salt Path
9. Haunting of Hill House
10. Warlight
11. When the Body Says No
12. Call You a Terrorist
13. Bush Runner
14. Education of an Idealist
15. The Mosquito
16. Reality Bubble
17. Furious Hours
18. Pull of hte Stars
19. Resilience is Futile
20. Gathering Moss

What a gorgeous novel. Heartbreaking and beautifully told. This struck me as a redemptive, more hopeful Beloved. Even knowing how strong Coates‘s nonfiction is, this is one impressive debut novel.

This is my #Bookspin title, which I'm excited about because i just finished a good discussion of “Between the World and Me“ with some thoughtful people dedicated to undoing racism. I also thought I'd try the bingo card this month!

An excellent read that with a mystical thrill, added details to the life under slavery that did well in revealing the horrors of that oppression. So powerful at points that I am more than willing to forgive any sap or predictability as I steel myself for his other book: “Between the World and Me”.

Good so far

Blessed because we do not bear the weight of pretending pure.

We are what we always were .... underground. Last line of this book..... I loved it! Here‘s a picture of my book and my oddly placed book lamp!

It‘s been a full morning of house cleaning. Now time for a short break while lunch is in the oven.

I‘ve read everything that Ta-Nehisi Coates has published. I know him to be a gifted essayist and writer of non-fiction but now fiction ... I want many more.

Hiram has the power of conduction, passed down to him from generations of water dancers. We meet the malicious Quality, the corrupt Low Whites, and come to grieve with, and celebrate those born to the Task. Coates tells us of an Underground, as magnificent and flawed as those who create it

This is book is so beautifully written, it hooked me immediately. The protagonist, Hiram, is born a slave in Virginia with an incredible photographic memory who, as an adult, participates in assisting with the Underground Railroad. I simultaneously wanted more events out of the story because it‘s such a complicated historical event, but also think it‘s worth a re-read because I found some parts quite dense.

November 2019 reading wrap-up:
The Water Dancer: Ta-Nehis Coates 5 🌟🎧
Heavy:Kiese Laymon 📖
The Less People Know About Us: Axton Betz-Hamilton 3 🌟📖
I Am I Am I Am : Maggie O‘Farrell 5 🌟🎧
The Fire Next TIme: James Baldwin 🎧
Happiness: Aminatta Forna 3.5 🌟📖
Galore: Michael Crummy 3.5 🌟🎧
Men We Reaped: Jesymyn Ward 3.5 🌟🎧
The Name Of The Wind: Patrick Rothfuss 2.5 🌟📖🎧
#bookreport #NFNov ##nonfictionnovember

What I appreciated: while the physical brutality of slavery is noted, it‘s the emotional brutality that Coates focuses on. The devastation of having your spouse and children sold, the riches acquired through the work and sale of you and your loved ones. The book had a bit more magical realism to it than I expected but it works. I have also realized that I have an elementary knowledge of Harriet Tubman and want to research her in greater depth.

Wow

I was looking for pictures of water for this post. Came across a photo of two of my grandkids, cousins, this summer. Well they‘re close to water! 😀 But very far removed from the reality of this book I‘m reading. Holy Toledo. When I‘m not reading I‘m thinking about the characters and just want to get back to it. Coates has me completely wrapped up in the story.

Sad & difficult to hear, as any tale of slavery must be, this is also a tale of triumph. Elements of magic realism help lift it to higher level. I found the #audiobook slow to get into, but Joe Morton‘s narration carried me until I was completely immersed. The story is like a cross between Edward P Jones‘ The Known World and Colson Whitehead‘s Underground Railroad.

Twelve napkins dyed indigo yesterday while listening to the tagged audiobook.

Spent today #audiodyeing with a vat of indigo. More photos tomorrow.

Great options for Book of the Month this month! The Coates was a no brainer for me and I couldn‘t resist adding just one more. What did all you other #botm clubbers choose?!

Excellent! Award material for sure. 🎖Don‘t let the wordy first chapter intimidate you. It settles down into a very readable book.

Cool new book covers for this month! https://lithub.com/the-11-best-book-covers-of-september/

A challenging book but well worth the effort. One of the best this year. Review at https://itsallaboutthebook.org/2019/09/19/water-dancer-by-ta-nehisi-coates/

Starting this, and a bit worried it is going to be over my head.

I have been thinking about what to say about this book for the last hour while I‘ve been cleaning my house. It‘s not perfect, but the story is powerful and the characters will stick with me.